UnNamed
by Arche De Katze
Summary: Sequel to Helix 4x. I'm back and writing more to this story. Chapter 11 was confusing so I rewrote it then I posted 12! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

"Clare!"

I bolt straight up in my bed, sweating furiously. The room is dark except for the dim light streaming through the cracked door and a dim figure looking in at me. I gather myself, "Yeah?"

"Are you ok?" Her voice is kind and concerned. I love hearing that tone but it usually means something is wrong.

"What's up Kayla?"

"You were screaming again."

I smile. "I'm always screaming."

"Why is there a knife in your bed?"

I turn over and see a large knife buried in my bed up to the handle. Gripping it, I rip it from the mattress and lay it on the table beside me. I look back at her. "There isn't."

"Right." She turns and walks out, closing the door and leaving me in the dark.

I lay back down and close my eyes, listening to the silence. Kayla is still outside my door but talking to someone. A guy, but I'm too tired to place the voice with another figure. Kayla's words are mostly jumbled together but once she says the word knife the door opens half of the way letting the light in. I shield my eyes and roll over onto my stomach.

"You alright?" the voice asks, "I heard you screaming and then there was the knife thing."

"I'm fine. Do you think anyone else could be on this ship other than us? We're in space! We have been for five months! I'm just very tired."

The guy starts to talk again but stops and leaves, closing the door once more. I roll back over onto my back take a deep breath, letting it out and relaxing into the blankets. The first three months of our trip went fine and we were all sleeping happily in Cryo. Then it all went to hell and the ship hyped into overload and shut itself off except for the emergency power. We fixed up the ship but the Cryo system was screwed. We had enough food and supplies in case something like this happened. We've been listening to music and playing chess and cards, but the boredom wasn't the problem with me. I haven't slept well for three years, don't unless I'm in cryo. The door flies open completely and unsuspectingly, drowning me in harsh light. My arms fly to my eyes, shielding them from the brightness.

"Captain!"

"Will I never get any sleep?!" I yell out, my arms still over my head.

"Captain, we are in the Helion system."

I stay down, eyes still covered. "I'm up" I hear him start to leave but I call out to him, "Don't call me captain, it pisses me off."

"That's why I do it," is his only reply and he closes the door behind him.

I fight the urge to just fall back asleep and sit up, flipping on a light next to my bed. My room is a mess, always has been. Who ever said that kids become more organized as they grow up never met me. The bed is never made; it never needed to be as long as the pillows and blankets are within reach when I fall asleep. Chairs and tabletops take the place of dressers as my clean clothes pile on them, me being too lazy to put them away. Maps of planetary systems line my walls and even some of my floor, but right now only the one next to my mirror matters. Helion Prime, a bright desert planet. My crew and me were on our way to Lupis 5 but when our ship broke down we searched through my maps to find the closest planet. Helion wasn't what I had in mind, too bright for my taste, but I was out voted and we set the course. I look in the mirror at my figure in the dim room. I had changed a lot in three years. I had cut and dyed my hair, its now light brown strands stopping just above my shoulders. The blue streaks have been changed to burgundy and I have color contacts to make my eyes look purple. The burn around my neck is just a white ring now, resembling a choker. I've had hundreds of opportunities to get rid of it, but to me its just another trophy. No one in my crew, or any of the passengers we sometimes have, has ever seen what I really look like or even know my name. _'Except Kayla.' _

A voice calls for me from outside of my room, "Clare?"

"Yeah?"

"Come on, we're about to land."

"Already? Just give me three or four more minuets."

"I don't think we have that long. Everyone else is already buckled."

I throw on some black cloth pants, a white bra, and a tight black spaghetti strap shirt that barely covers my stomach. Black socks are covered by worn in boots. I grab a thin, dark green jacket and a camouflage hat to match off of a chair. As a last touch, I snap a loose belt around my waist. An empty gun holster on one side and a homemade leather sheath for my knife on the other. I pick up the knife off my side dresser and, making sure my jacket covers the knife or gun holster, walk out the door to the rest of my ship.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the great reviews for the first chapter. Oh, and Dash, keep reading and you'll figure itout. ;-)

Kayla is outside my door waiting, her long, straight brown hair tied back with a band that matches her hazel eyes. She is wearing dark blue jeans with a black shirt splotched with dark red roses with green stems and thorns. Her boots are newer than mine and steel tipped, which has a tendency to make me jealous.

"It's about time you woke up. I came in when you screamed and told you to get up."

"What? No you didn't."

"I did too."

We start walking down the halls to the cockpit, "Well, I have selective hearing. If I don't want to hear it, I block it out."

Kayla laughs, "Like your alarm clock?"

I give a smile, "Exactly. How are the passengers?"

She rolls her eyes, "Annoying."

"Besides that."

"They're all buckled in and are gripping they're luggage like they are going to die. Someone was spreading rumors about how this ship wont make it through the entry."

I open the door and sit in the pilot's seat. "Lets hope they are wrong about the old girl." I look over all the controls and rub my eyes, which are painful from sleep. "Kayla, I'll pay you to land this ship for me. I'm too far gone." I let out a yawn and pull some coins out, handing them to her. She sits in the co-pilot chair and I doze off. After what seems like only a few seconds a jolt wakes me up.

Kayla shoves my shoulder, "It's been a while since you've let me fly. Lets hope I didn't kill anyone." We stand up and leave the control room.

"Can you go and get the passengers?"

"Fine but if we pick up anyone here you're in charge of them."

"Deal." We shake it and with that we go our separate ways leaving me to see if my crew made it through ok.

There was yelling up ahead and I open the door to see the other three members of group doing, basically, ok. NePaul and Violet are sitting on the ground, just out of reach of Alex, who was still strapped to his chair.

I had known NePaul for a little under a year, but he was good company so I kept him around. His black hair was very short, and his skin was the same dark color as his eyes. Black tattoos, starting at his wrists, trail down to his hands ending in an odd design on his palms. At his first stop, he went out and found Violet. Her well tanned skin, green eyes, and short black hair let me know why NePaul had wanted her with us. I gave the ok and she stuck with us. No one really knows how we came across Alex. Its like he just appeared and started working and no one really complained so I put him on the pay roll. Alex, the oldest at twenty-six, has bright, fire orange hair which is only two inches long. His pale skin shows off his freckles and green eyes, which are blazing with frustration with his belt.

"Quit being so childish." I pull my knife and cut the belt. I point the blade at him, "And no more talking about the ship blowing up."

"Ok, Captain."

I cut a button off his shirt as a warning and walk out of the room, the three people following me to the main area.

Kayla and the two passengers were already there. They were twins, Carman and her older brother Jason, from the chocolate color of their eyes and hair to their shoe size. For two people so alike, their attitudes were completely different. Carman enjoys the finer things in life, like flying in space, drawing, and hunting. Jason lives and breathes cash. He believes that money is the key to happiness as much as he believes in his gun. Put his love of money and his sister's love of the hunt together and you have the perfect merc, which is exactly what they are… Mercenaries. With Carman I was able to over look it but her brother is the most annoying person I have ever met.

I stand beside the hanger and press the button on the side to open it. I blink a few times to adjust my eyes to the light and, taking advantage of the opportunity, NePaul and Violet run past me and down the ramp. I open my eyes, "Damn it! You better hope I don't just leave you two on this hunk of dirt!" Footsteps coming down the hanger make me turn. I step up to Jason, "I'll be taking the other half of my pay."

He glares at me but stuffs his hand into his pocket pulling out cash. He sorts it out and hands me my money, grumbling as I take it, "I was expecting breakfast in bed."

I shove him off the ramp, "You expect too much."

"Please be nicer to him, Clare." Carman asks sweetly.

I pull her into a hug; "It was great having you with us." I release her and she hands me some money. _'Take it, you need to fix the ship.' _I take the money but grab her arm as he starts down the ramp. Flipping through the currency I take half and give the rest back to her. "Buy that brother of yours a muzzle." She laughs and leaves the she, waving goodbye. I smile to myself but quickly erase it. "Alex."

He comes up beside me, "Captain?"

I let that go and turn to him. "Take the money and go buy the parts we need." I hand him the money but snatch it away just as he reaches for it. I look at him menacingly, "If you spend this on alcohol, I'll cut out your organs and sell them to make up the loss." I hand him the money and he slowly takes it. I grab his wrist hard, "It would be an investment." I let him go and he hurries away. With that, I'm alone with Kayla.

"That was mean Arc." She states.

"Yeah I know." I turn to her, "Lets go buy him a present." I offer her my hand and we walk onto the street, leaving the ship in the hanger.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took a while to post, got caught up with the holiday. i got an X-Box and the Riddick game, its not bad i guess. Hate to say it but i've been playing KOTOR more. i love the reviews. They keep me going.

* * *

The dirt streets were lined with small shops and people wearing native clothing. Loose clothing with robes in all the natural colors. I felt eyes following us, but then again, if I were these people, I would be staring at me too. Kayla and me stand out in this crowd very easily but after a while, the eyes stop moving over us and all the people went on with their normal chores. Stopping at a small stand, furs are hung on the walls behind the man behind the counter. They are all so beautiful, the white and black stripped one, yellow with black spots, tan with large orange spots. Off to the side, a pair of black leather gloves catches my eye. I pick them up and look at the guy. "What can you tell me about these?"

He beams, "Those are made from the toughest hide of an elephant from old Earth. They are very old but strong, sturdy, and cut resistant. There is a thin bit of rubber along the inside to make them resistant to electrical shock, but see those holes?" He plucks a glove out of my hand and points to several small holes along the top and palm of the glove. "Those are for ventilation. All the leather and rubber makes the inside very hot and those help."

I take the glove back, "I'll take em' and I'll all so take that… Giraffe skin behind you."

He takes it down and hands it to me, "Very nice choice."

I pay the man and go to look for Kayla, who had wandered off. I spot her by another stand and come up beside her. I hold up the rolled up animal pelt, "What do you think about this as a gift for Alex?" She doesn't answer, but keeps looking down at the stuff on the counter. I follow her eyes to a tiger-eye ring, skillfully carved, with four diamonds forming a square around the gem. I look back at Kayla and see the longing look in her eyes.

"Hey! Sir?" I call to the owner.

"What can I do for you ladies?"

I point to the ring, "How much?"

He looks at me warily "Two grand."

I smile innocently, "Now one more time with out trying to cheat me out of my money. I've cut and stolen things better made than that that cost less."

His face showed surprise and fear, "1,000."

I hand him the money, "See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" I take the ring and turn to Kayla. "May I?" I get down on a knee and both Kayla and me have to restrain ourselves from bursting out with laughter. I put the ring on her finger and stand, both of us giggling as we walk off.

She admires the ring on her hand, "I don't feel right about having this. I mean, you scared and lied to that guy to get it a grand cheaper."

"Well, he must have been lying about something or else he wouldn't have fallen for it." I counter, shrugging my shoulders. She accepts that, angrily, and we continue our stroll.

The sun beats down and we crave the shade, finding relief in a bar. Kayla amuses herself with one of the arcade games at the bar while I converse with the bartender.

"What cha hungry for?"

"Nachos and a small glass of your strongest alcohol." I cross my arms on the counter and lay my head down.

"Long day?" He asks, setting down a basket of chips and a small cup of dark brown liquid.

"Nope but I wish it was over." I take a drink of what ever was in the cup. "Kayla," I call "I got you nachos." I pick a few up and put them on a napkin before Kayla drags them over to her game. I hurry through the rest of the drink and get another glass.

As I start on the drink the bartender looks up at me, "Go easy on that. You're drinking it like water."

I set down the glass and start on the nachos. A shiver moves up my spine and branches out over my whole body. A primitive instinct calms my heart and eases my breathing, slow and even. There were eyes on my back. _'Who's the dead man?' _Against my better judgment, I glance from me left side to my right and realize a scary thought. _'They are all watching me.' _I shrug my shoulders and take a big gulp from my cup, having it rip the feeling from my brain. There was singing coming from the opposite side of the bar and I spin my stool around to watch some pitiful woman croak out the words to a perfectly good song. _'Butcher.' _Booing ensues and the woman runs of stage in tears, trying to cover her face with her hands. "Stupid bitch." I mumble as I stand and walk to the stage. I hear Kayla clapping.

"Shut up whore. Its not like she's going to do any better than that last one." Some guy yells.

'_What did he call Kayla?!' _I grab a glass mug and hurl it at him, nailing him in the arm. "The next one wont miss!" I shout at him.

"What the fuck are you talking about? You hit me." I give him a look that could kill and he puts his hands up in defense. "Alright." He sits down and a lot of the people in the bar start laughing.

I get on stage and grab the microphone. Moving over to the karaoke machine I put in a good song and wait for the music._ 'I hope these people like classical.'_

**Crowded streets all cleared away, One by One  
Hollow heroes separate, As they run**

**You're so cold, Keep your hand in mine  
Wise men wonder while, Strong men die**

**Show me how it ends it's alright  
Show me how defenseless you really are  
Satisfied and empty inside  
That's alright, let's give this another try**

I don't even bother really looking at the crowd, I just sing, letting the music and liquor drag me away.

**If you find your family, don't you cry  
In this land of make-believe, dead and dry**

**You're so cold, but you feel alive  
Lay your hands on me one last time**

**Show me how it ends it's alright  
Show me how defenseless you really are  
Satisfied and empty inside  
That's alright, let's give this another try**

**It's alright**

I look up at the sudden noise. The people are smiling and cheering. I blush a bit before putting the microphone up and starting for the stairs leading off stage. The bartender meets me at the bottom step and shoves me back up. "Oh no you don't. That was the best we've ever had in this bar! You're going to bring in people. Just do a few more songs and the rest of your food and drinks are free."

I shake my head. "I can't, I need to get back to m ship."

"Then just one more." He pleads.

I give him a funny look, "Damn, it was only classic music. Well, get me another glass of what ever that drink was and I'll do one more." He brings me the drink in a shot glass and I take it, downing it and feeling the effects. I have the perfect idea for a song and punch it into the computer. I take a deep breath when the music starts and just let the words flow

**I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know**

**I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you**

**I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears**

**Thats why i need you to hear**

**I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is You**

**I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know**

**I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you**

**I've found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you**

I finish up the song, thankful that it is over. I ignore the people as I leave the bar, dragging Kayla behind me.

Everyone is gathered at the ramp to the ship when we arrive and I almost burst out laughing when I see NePaul dressed up like a native. The colors and hat do nothing for him but I was betting Violet didn't say anything just so he would wear it, so I kept it to my self.

"Is everything fixed on the ship?" I question Alex.

"Done and done. Refueled, restocked, and repaired." He beams a smile.

"Perfect. Here, got you a gift." I hand him the giraffe pelt and he smiles, quirking an eye brow. "Um, thanks. One more thing, I picked up some one outside of the main office looking for a transport. He was heading to DourShu so I told him that we could take him along."

"Alex you moron! We were going to Lupis 5! DourShu is a week out of the way and we are already two months away! You go tell him that he can find himself another ship."

I could tell how my answer made him uneasy and he gulped hard. "I can't really tell him."

"Why?" I demand.

"I don't really want to make him mad. He's scarier than you and that's not something I'm going to mess with."

"Alex, you wimpy little loser. Where is he?" Before he can reply, my skin craws and I stand very still, as if seen be a predator. Something big was right behind me and my thoughts fly to the knife at my side.

"You try to go for it and I'll shove it into your back. Show me the shiv."

'_My God…'_


	4. Chapter 4

I keep my breathing even, and heart rate normal. I had prepared myself so well, I could have fooled a computer. I keep my face an un-amused and bored mask and slowly move my right hand to my jacket and move it out of the way of my shiv.

"If your smart you wont even go for it."

I make a daring move and turn to face him. I don't even scan his face, no inspections, nothing, "My boy made a mistake. We're on our way to Lupis 5, we're not going out of our way for some merc. Find another ship."

I saw it coming but I let it happen, I needed him to leave me alone, which means I can't act anything like how I use to or behave like I would. His huge fist caught me around the neck and I couldn't help feeling a sort of cruel repeat of the past. "What did you call me?" He growls in my face.

I cough and claw at his iron grip, completely ignoring the question. A gun appears at his temple and I smile inside at Kayla's move. The massive hand releases me and the dark goggles turn slowly to face Kayla. 'Oh, shit, she's not ready for him yet.' I rip Alex's gun from the holster, as Kayla is disarmed the weapon is turned back at me. With a gun to my head and one to his, I give a smile that I can only relate to the look a merc gives after catching his big payday. NePaul and Violet both pull their guns as well and aim them at the back of his skull. "I want you away from my ship."

"If I go, I'm taking your friend who made the deal with me." He says.

I see Kayla's frightened face and sigh, "As much as I like getting rid of him you cant have him."

"Didn't say I was going to keep him, just going to put him out of his misery."

Alex whimpers somewhere behind me, "and if I don't let you take him?"

"Then I kill you all right now and take the ship."

My crew laughed at this but I knew he wasn't kidding. Hell, he could have already killed us if he really wanted the ship. I lower the gun from his head but he just relaxes his arm, keeping the barrel in my face. "Fine, you can tag alone but I don't want to see you during the trip. Got it? We normally charge one hundred but since you're making us go out of our way, its double."

"I think I should pay less."

"I don't. Anyways, we need the money."

He smiles, "Especially since your guy spent as little money as needed buying shotty equipment."

I turn to Alex in a rage and point the gun at him, "What did you do?!" I yell.

"Clare! I'm sorry! I didn't know he was cheating me he just said that it was a bargain buy so I had the mechanics here hook it up and they said that most of the equipment was busted and the rest was just old and risky to use. I-I did get the stabilizers and they have a better chance of working than the other stuff. S-so now we wont kill ourselves trying to take off and land."

I glare daggers at him and cut off his rambling, "What happened to the rest of the money?"

"Um… Well, you see… There was this bar…"

I fire a shot that blows past his ear and him yelps and covers his ears, closing his eyes. "Because of you we don't have a Cryo system." He opens his eyes and looks at me. I sigh and shake my head. "Get on the ship." He runs at full speed up the ramp and out of sight. I push the gun that is still at my head away from me, and NePaul and violet both lower their weapons. I look at our new passenger, "What's your name?"

"Riddick."

"Alright, enjoy your stay."

He drops the gun and turns, walking casually up the ramp into my ship. I turn around and nod to Kayla who picks up her gun off the ground and takes control.

"Alright, everyone on the ship, we leave in ten. Put your stuff away and if you don't trust Alex, then buckle up." She heads up the ramp followed by Violet.

I grab NePaul by the arm and pull him over to me. "I have a job for you."

"Sure, what is it?" He asks.

"Keep an eye on our new guy, don't turn your back on him and inform me on everything he does. Don't make it at all obvious." I whisper into his ear. He nods and we both head up into the ship.

'_I'm having a panic attack… I know I am. Oh god. Oh god.'_ I blast my 21st century music and lock the door to my room. Pacing around the room, I turn on every light from the one on the ceiling to the little night-light in my closet. I kick the maps on my floor into a corner and start sorting my clothes. I shove hem angrily into their assigned drawers and pin up the maps in the corner over lapping the ones on my walls. I take every blanket I have in the room and throw them onto the bed. I crawl into the covers, burying myself and clutching a pillow. The knock on my door barely makes it to my ears through the deafening music. I ignore the disruption and pull a pillow over my head. The banging intensifies and I grab the alarm off my counter and hurl it at the door.

"Clare!" The voice yells followed by the door opening and the music being turned down. "What happened here? I can see the floor."

I groan and shift onto my side under the covers so my back is to her. The covers are ripped of the bed and I yell in frustration. "How did you get in here?"

"I'm co-pilot. I have access to everything." She pauses, her eyes scanning my face. "You don't look too well."

"Yeah, I feel like shit. A bit too much to drink."

"I'll say, you're eyes are turning red. Listen, I'll pilot until we get out of the atmosphere and I can set autopilot. You stay in here and rest for a while, then come out, take some meds, and take care of your passenger."

I sigh, "Can you take care of this one. I told him I didn't want to see him and if I go out and check on him, it will contradict my word. I don't want to do that."  
"You should have thought of that before saying anything." She smiles dreamily, "But damn… that body."

"You win. I'll make sure his trip is decent."

"Thanks." She smiles and leaves, closing the door behind her.

I head into my bathroom and open a drawer, grabbing a bottle of eye drops. _'Damn contacts.'_ I tilt my head up and drop two drops in each eye. I replace the bottle and go back to my bed and lay on my back. I sigh and wait for the ship to leave the ground. _'Come on girl. You had the mechanics look at you. Don't try to kill us this take off.'_


	5. Chapter 5

The take off was smooth but still noticeable. I wait less than a minuet before slipping out of bed and putting my feet on the floor. Rolling around my head I hear several pops, the same when I stand and stretch my back. _'Just act like you always do. It's the best and the only thing you can do. Oh come on, you knew from the beginning that even with all these changes it wouldn't matter. He won't even notice the color changes, he can only see in a few colors anyways. He cant find out if he doesn't get close to you.' _I walk to the door and open it, feeling my heart nearly stop and drop to my stomach. Riddick, two steps past my door, stops abruptly and turns, a growl erupting from his throat as black goggles stare at me. I remind myself to breath and close the door behind me. Starting down the hall, he falls into step beside me, having to walk a bit slower so he won't pass me. I turn my head and see that his goggles are facing ahead so I take the moment to look him over and search for anything that would be a threat. _'No guns that's for sure, it would be too bulky and not his style.' _I move my eyes down, looking for any sign of a shiv. _'Could be one in his boot.' _

"I have a weapon."

I move my head up to look at his face. His eyes still fixed down the hall as he walks looking as if he hadn't even said anything.

"You just can't see it."

I roll my eyes and turn back ahead, "I thought I told you that I didn't want to see you through out this trip."

"You better get use to it. You stuck with me till you drop me off."

"I'll drop you out of the air lock free of charge" I say under my breath. Its obvious he heard me but he lets it go. I feel him watching me, "Has anyone ever told you you're scary as hell?"

He moves closer to me until his mouth is close to my ear. "You have no idea."

I snarl and move away.

"Got it on New Mecca?"

"Huh?" I say, taken back by the question.

"The perfume. Every woman there wears that stuff."

Then it hits me; a lady at one of the booths had given me a sample behind my ears. "Yeah, its nice," I flat out lie. _'Yeah, its nice to be assaulted by a lady who sprays you in the face with that crap.' _"So what were you doing on New Mecca? Not likely to find a pay day there." It was a long shot, but it worked and it just rolled off him like water.

"A little pit stop on my way to DourShu."

'_Well would you look at that. Billy bad ass acting like a merc.' _"Why the hell do you want to go to that planet anyways? Why does ANYONE want to go to that planet; Its nothing but water. The air is so humid you're basically breathing water. Its cold, wet, dark, and a pain to live on. There is so much water it puts old earth to shame."

"Better than living on a bright, dry planet."

"And you couldn't take the ship you got here on because???"

"I landed where they said I couldn't and cops impounded my ship and papers."

Wow, for a second there I was convinced. That probably did happen but why would he land on New Mecca in the first place. "One big time rule you better follow when you're on MY ship. You WILL NOT pull any weapon on me. Not only will I kick your sorry ass, I will drop you in the middle of nowhere. Do you understand me?" He shrugs and I mentally kick myself, _'Nice job, you just gave him a reason to watch you.'_

We step into the place we used as a kitchen and I noticed everyone, except Alex, was already there, messing around on laptops and snacking on chips. I smiled at Kayla who was sitting on a stool reading a book. I walk away from Riddick and over to her. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I put my chin on her shoulder and start reading her book.

"Do you have to do that?" she asks, turning towards me.

I give her my most innocent face. "Do what?"

She closes her book, keeping her place with a finger, "Read over my shoulder."

I shrug and let go of her whispering in her ear, "I brought the merc with the hot body."

She turns almost knocking me over and looks at Riddick who is sitting in a chair, quiet and alone. She watches him from her seat and I even begin to stare myself. He was nice to look at, like some dark god.

"Beautiful." Kayla whispers to me. I laugh and head to the door opposite the way I came in.


	6. Chapter 6

The fifth day and I'm starting to think I might get out of this alive. Nightmares every night and I cant close my eyes without getting the image of him standing behind me with a knife. I've started carrying a gun despite the heaviness and how bulky it is. Better safe than dead. I finish up my rounds and head back to my room. Everyone's asleep already and the ship is on autopilot. I spent most of yesterday rewriting the security codes for my door. Kayla got on my back about it, but as long as she had a card that could unlock my room, there was a chance that Riddick could swipe it. I didn't carry the new card with me; the code had been burned into my memory and I knew there was no way I would forget it.

'_11329. The code that saved me from a life of Slam food and men with big egos.'_

I reach for the keypad next to my door but something distracts me. I look at the slot where you would normally swipe your card and notice a dent along the side of it. Its not much but it raises my curiosity. I was too careful putting the keypad in to do something like that. I kneel down to get a closer look and see the plastic on the inside has been charred somehow. Dragging my finger down the slot, I feel the dent and a thought comes to me so suddenly that it scares me. I whip out my knife and place the point in the groove following the path the dent made. I hit something inside the slot and gently bend my knife. The sudden sparks surprise me a little and there is a click from the door handle. I tuck my knife away and pull the knob, stepping into my room. The first thing that gets me is the eerie feeling in my mind telling me that something is wrong. Then I notice the dark. In my moment of thought the door had closed behind me and I reach to my right and flip the switch over and over again. Nothing, just the dark.

'_Maybe not _just_ the dark.'_

Without turning around I twist and pull the doorknob only to have it hold fast.

'What the hell? The doors aren't suppose to lock on the inside unless the ship is in lockdown.'

I decide that its time to go and take the pocket flashlight from my belt. The dim light makes me silently curse the cheap company that made it but I turn and look at the keypad. The three and one have been pried from their sockets. Panic smacks me in the face and I violently rip my gun from its holster, spinning so I can keep my back against the door. The extinguishing light does close to nothing in this darkness but if he comes within three feet of me, that will be all I need. I stand still for a few minuets, every muscle tense until my legs begin to ache. Keeping my gun still, I lower myself to the floor and pull my legs up to my chest so I can rest my arms on them while I wait.

An hour and a half has passed, I know, I have been counting. The bulb in the flashlight is long dead and I'm huddled in a corner my arms sore from being stiff for so long. I give up.

'_If this is it, might as well speed it up.'_

"What the hell are you waiting for Riddick? The flashlight is dead and I'm trapped. Now are you going to do something or should I just start firing randomly? I'm not worried about what I hit." Total bullshit there, "Just tell me what the fuck is wrong with you."

"You shot me with darts" I raised the gun but it was useless, it sounded like the voice came from everywhere, "put me in a cage" Closer now, to the left, "stole my money" I stand up and look for any sign of movement, "I made a promise."

He sounds close, like he is right in front of me. I walk forward and aim the gun at where I thought he was. I feel it; I've already lost. Breath on the back of my neck and the deep rumble of an inhuman growl that melts and terrifies me.

"I said I would hang you with your chain." The jingle of my chain is unmistakable. As he holds it up to my ear.

I don't run straight out, he would grab me like I hadn't even done anything. Instead I drop the gun, fall to the floor and roll forward out of his reach.

"And what about the hell you put me through, huh?" I yell standing on the other side of the room, an anger that I haven't felt in a while was welling up in the darkest part of my soul. "The constant mind games. Screwing with my friends. The pain you put me through. The isolation! The GOD DAMNED SCARS!" I rubbed my neck knowing that he could see. "I say we're pretty fuckin even!" The heavy thud of boots alerts me to the danger. He was on pure kill mode. It didn't matter if he was quiet or not, its dark, he has the advantage. I have nothing but a useless gun somewhere on the floor and a useless knife at my side. Maybe not useless… I rip the knife out and throw myself out of his way, swiping wildly with the blade in hopes of hitting him. An elbow meets my side and hurls me into a dresser. The knife slips from my hand and I search the floor frantically for it. Just as I feel the cool metal at the tip of my fingers, pain surges through me. A combat boot had stomped brutally on my right wrist and I felt bones snap as he pressed down.

"That's mine too." The rough voice says close to my ear, and the knife slips away once again. Tears burn in my eyes and I feel them as they slide down my cheeks. I realize that I'm screaming and, unsuccessfully, try to stop. There was a bang and a flash. I was dead, that was it, it had to be.


	7. Chapter 7

There's noise, I can still hear. I can't be dead, I'm still breathing and there is still the pain of Riddick's boot holding down my wrist.

"Get off her Riddick!" I know that voice. Looking up, the door has been broken open and my crew is standing in my room, guns all pointing at Riddick's head. Light from the hall was flooding in and Riddick eyes were locked onto Kayla. I had been clawing weakly at his leg with my free hand trying to get him off but those four words Kayla growled was the only thing that took the pain away. Riddick lifted his foot off my wrist and raised his hands defensively, a smile on his face. I pull my wrist to my chest curled in a ball on the floor, biting my lip in pain. I look up, knowing that I have to watch out for my crew despite the little broken bone.

"Don't you dare make a move." Kayla says coldly.

"Or what? You'll shoot me?" with that he grabs the gun right out of her hands and aims it back at her.

"No!" I find a bit of energy to get to my feet and run forward, plowing into him, catching him off balance, and sending us both into the wall. He recovers before me and holds me against the wall, one arm holding my arms and the other pressed against my neck.

"You should have just ghosted me Arc. You were smarter before," He throws me to the ground, "and a better fighter."

"Kill me, go on I know you want to, but not them. There is always a reason when you kill someone, with them you don't have anything except witnesses who wouldn't say a word."

"They haven't turned you in… then again," he looks from me to them, "by the way they look, I'd say they don't know shit about you." He rises up and for one moment I see that same dark idol I remember seeing a long time ago. He towers above me, silver eyes flashing then turns and starts walking. Alex and Nepaul both raise their guns ready to shoot and I know that I should just tell them to blow his head off.

"Don't waist your ammo boys, just let him go." I pick myself up, cradling my broken wrist close to my chest. Everyone is quiet and looking at me but I can't meet their eyes, which I know are full of questions.

"Later." Kayla whispers to them before wrapping her arm around me. "Come one Arc." We walk out the door and down the hall towards the med station.

She rummages through a drawer and takes a splint and a bandage wrap. I grit my teeth as she skillfully splints and wraps my hand. "You have to tell them now," she says softly to me.

"I know."


	8. Chapter 8

One by one they gathered back in my room, now lit with repaired lights. NePaul first followed closely by Violet, then a minuet later Alex slipped in and leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. They were all waiting for me to start but I couldn't think of the right way. I look around at them; we had been together for so long they had become my family whether I liked it or not.

"Where do you want me to start?" I ask, hopelessly.

"The beginning," answers Kayla. I hate telling the story. I have only told it twice before, Once to Riddick and once to Kayla.

I must have waited a while because Alex spoke up, "Clare, are you just going to…"

"My name isn't Clare. It's Arc. Arche De Katze." Silence again. Violet shifts uneasily, she recognizes my name. They wanted me to continue but, god, could I? "When I was little my parents died. I had nowhere to go so I went to the nearest station and jumped a ship. I didn't know where I was going but I knew I wanted to go. I was a ship jumper for years until I made a mistake. I was caught and one of the guys raped me. The last week of the trip I got hold of a knife and killed the guy. I moved on and killed another and another till the crew was gone. I managed to dock the ship but a camera took a picture of me before I could get away. Some mercs… mercenaries, picked me up and they sent me to Helix."

"The prison?" Violet gasps.

"Triple max." I say, closing my eyes momentarily to try and block out the images that were popping up ion my mind. "While they had me, they locked a chain around my neck with all the nice things about me one it. My name, where they found me, and where they were sending me. Every time I messed with the lock, it would get me a few volts of electricity. To taunt me, the one of the mercs ate the key. I wanted that key back so I got a knife and dug in after it." Everyone grimaces at that remark. "The others stopped me before I could find it and threw me to the prison. I was in the slam for two days before a guard and his merc buddy got greedy and gave me a chance to run. I killed the merc and ran. They eventually caught up and sent me back. That's when I met Riddick. He looked out for me when I was stupid and he came up with an escape plan. We followed it and got out by stealing a ship. I found out that he was going to dump me off on a planet with no food or money and leave me to die so I stocked up with supplies, shot Riddick with a few darts, and left Riddick with only a ship." I stop and look at everyone, "I guess that's the short version."

Nepaul looks at me, utterly confused, not like I'd blame him. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Part of starting a new life is not having anyone know who you are."

"You told her!" He points a finger at Kayla.

"That was in case of emergencies!" Why were we yelling now? This was getting way out of hand. "Go to your rooms and sleep it off."

"We aren't done here!" NePaul yells.

"We are! Go to bed!" Violet runs out of the room nearly in tears. NePaul chases after her.

Alex looks at me and takes a few steps forward. "You should have told us and avoided this chaos."

I look at the ground, "Go to bed." I was barely a whisper but he heard me.

"No one's going to get a good night's sleep in this ship for a while." He turns and heads down the hall.

A kind gentle hand settles on my shoulder. I feel unworthy of the kindness nd brush the hand off. "I meant you too Kayla. We all need rest after this."

"You sure you want to be alone?"

"I can handle it now I think." There is no reply but the footsteps leaving my room and heading down the hall. I feel like shit acting that way in front of my crew, my family. Just when my life was starting to be good he shows up and fucks up my world.

'_at least now you don't have to hold anything back.'_

I walk to the door and grab the door handle to close it but come face to face with black goggles. I hear the deep growl raising up from his chest and glare daggers at him. "Don't ever make me tell that god forsaken story again."

He gives an accomplished smirk, "now we're even." He slams the door in my face leaving me again in room.


	9. Chapter 9

Three days after almost dying and having to explain myself to my crew, I'm sitting in the observation room in a big squishy chair. I've been sitting here for so long the chair has molded to fit my body. I don't even have to look at Kayla to tell that she is watching me. The weight of her gaze is throwing off my concentration.

"Don't give me that look." I say without even glancing at her.

"Arche, you're exhausted. You've been working nonstop and it's making your work sloppy."

"Heh, you wouldn't sleep either if all this shit had happened to you."

Her chair squeaks as she turns to face me, "you shouldn't have done it that way. You could have waited or put it simpler or something like that."

I face her, getting annoyed. "No matter how I put it they would have reacted the same way. Learning that your friend is a hunted killer isn't easy to come to grips with. And then finding out that there is a bigger killer on the ship who isn't on good terms with your friend only makes it worse." I lean forward, holding my chin in my hands, "Remember when I told you? It was a month before you talked to me, and that was before the whole Riddick thing."

She glances around the shadowed room and the closed door. "So what are we going to do about this problem?" she asks in a hushed voice.

"Well" I run a hand through my hair, "I haven't really thought about it. He'll be expecting something from me soon though, that's just the way he is." I turn back to the map and bring up the stats of a planet. "I was thinking about docking here."

The screen shows a small planet rotating slowly with a blue dwarf star in the background. The blue and black atmosphere whips around wildly, so thick that you can't see the land.

"You're kidding right?" Kayla asks, "We'll die before ever reaching the surface."

"Nah, only 15 percent of the people who try to land there are killed. I lived there for two years after my first problem with Riddick. An Emperor, or whatever he was, took me in. when we get there and something goes wrong you guys are going to go there and get protection."

She gives me a shifty look, "Are you planning something?"

"Me? Nah, I'm not good at planning. I'm just looking out for you guys."

"Well, put in the coordinates then."

"Already did as soon as he came on board."

"And you say you're not good at planning." She says playfully. She's suddenly serious, "He's not going to be happy when he finds out we're not going where he wanted to go."

"He'll just have to deal with that then." I turn off the screen.

"I think Riddick is a little nervous about you. You had him the last time you saw him and you could have called Mercs to pick him up but you didn't. Now, if he pulled anything here, he'd be out manned. You chose your crew well, we'd fight for you."

I haul myself out of the chair and Kayla falls in step beside me as we walk towards the door. "Don't fight him. I don't want to give him any reason to hurt any of you."

"He's a killer, he doesn't need a reason to kill."

I open the door and Kayla gives a surprised yelp, jumping back a little so that she is partly behind me. I glare into those dark goggles, "This hall is off limits to passengers. Go back where you came from."

"I've been looking for you," his deep voice sounds so warm. "So this is where you've been hiding."

"I don't hide," I growl at him. I feel Kayla pat my shoulder lightly before slipping away and heading down the hall. When she's out of hearing range I cross my arms over my chest and look at the dark god standing in front of me. "Now look what you did." I sigh angrily and walk past him, shoving his shoulder with mine, as if I could ever move him out of my way.

"We're not on course."

I stop, "What?"

"To the planet I told you to take me to. You're a shitty transporter."

'_This talk is going badly. Change subject! Change subject!'_ I turn and lean against the wall, not meeting his eyes. "How long did it take you to figure out who I was?"

He's moved beside me so quickly that I didn't even see him. Riddick has an arm on either side of me, keeping me trapped. I cant help but stare at him, looking for any signs of aging to remind myself that it has been years since Helix but he's perfect, exactly the same as I remember him. I'm still that girl who was trapped in slam with the big evil himself.

"You've done a lot to change, but you still smell the same. Showing me the shiv when we were on New Mecca told me everything. I know my work." He brushes the scar on my neck with his thumb. "Nice to know you wanted to remember me."

"I heard that it hurts more getting them removed then it does to get them, and if that's true then it might just kill me." I feel his gaze become heavier and it sends a shiver up my spine. I hate not seeing his eyes. I have to see them. I haven't seen them yet.

'_Relax Arc, he's trying to intimidate you._ _Pull yourself out of this hole you dug.' _I shift my footing and dig my shoulder into his side in an attempt to throw him off balance and away from me. I slip off to the side but he grabs my shirt and yanks me back, my back hitting the wall with a thud.

He gives me a curious look, "I remember you being better than this."

I growl and do the same move again. He moves his arm up to grab me and pull me back but in turn, leaves his side open. His hand grabs my shirt a second time and I twist bringing my elbow into his kidney. I basically fly ten feet from him on my own as he staggers and braces himself against the wall. I pull my gun and aim at his head, not wavering or flinching, without a doubtful thought in my mind. _'Turning back into the killer Arc?' _

Riddick turns with a deep, primitive growl and the feel he gives off is enough to make any normal person wet themselves.

I keep my eyes emotionless. "I'm still as good as I was when I took you down."

The crackling of the intercom nearly gives me a heart attack but I manage to keep it as a small jump, while Riddick still keeps focused on me. Kayla's voice rips up the silence with an almost panicked tone, "Arche, drop whatever you're doing and get to the meeting room, now!"

Curiosity burns at the back of my brain like an iron and strips me off all common sense. I turn my back on Riddick and put my gun up only to have it ripped from the holster and pressed against the back of my skull. '_This is so fuckin annoying!'_ "Alright Riddick, we can do this later. It sounded like there was a problem. Do you really want to kill me before I can fix whatever is happening?"

The intercom clicks again, "Arche! Where are you? Get up here!"

The gun presses harder, "You heard her."

He pushes me forward with the barrel of the gun, making me stumble but I catch myself and race down the hall.


	10. Chapter 10

I nearly break down the door coming into the meeting room. Kayla and Alex are sitting across from one another, papers scattered across the table between them. I close and lock the doors then walk around the table and take a seat. "Ok, fill me in. And why are you two the only ones here?" Kayla grabs a photo from the pile of papers and hands it to me. I look at the small ship. "Tell me what I'm looking at here, besides a bunch of dead people if I'm right."

"Merc ship." Kayla says. She's as serious as I've ever seen her.

I nod, still taking in all that's happening, "Who spotted them?"

"I did," Alex says, but there's no hint of triumph in his voice. "They just came out of nowhere and started tracking us. That cant be just a coincidence, someone made a call and tipped them off."

'_This cant be right.'_ "Could it be the twins we dropped off?" I ask, finally setting down the picture.

"No," Kayla replies. "Remember, they were on Helion Prime visiting relatives. Carman wouldn't stand for leaving family to chase after us."

"Alright." I turn to Alex, "Is there anything in this pile that can tell me anything about who might be on the ship?"

He shakes his head, "Only that they're Mercs who have been tipped off that we have Riddick. Looking back at a few of our scans it looks like they were after us five days out of Helion Prime. Aside from that, their trackers are much better than ours. Its one of those times where they can see us…"

"But we can't see them." I finish for him. I push my chair away from the table, "Here's how we're going to handle this. First off, tell no one. Right now it seems like we're the only ones who know so lets keep it that way. Next, we need to pick up the pace. I want to be docked within two days. Try to get ahead of them." I stand up. "And get rid of these papers."

Alex pushes them into a metal trash bin and pulls out a pack of matches, "Got it covered."

I start for the door, thinking that the whole talking thing was over but Kayla grabs me, "Hold on a second, we're not done yet."

I look around, "Really, huh, I thought we were. "

"Well then, what are we going to do about the one who tipped off the Mercs?"

"Do you know who made contact?"

Kayla starts to say something but then stops, a confused look on her face, and looks to Alex who shrugs.

"Then don't worry about it. I know what they were trying to do and I would have done the same thing."

Now it's Alex's time to speak up, "What happens if they catch up to us? If they can recognize Riddick then they might recognize you."

I can't help but let out a full-hearted laugh. "Everyone knows who Riddick is. His picture is posted in every police station on every planet. Me on the other hand; most Mercs think I died when escaping. They think Riddick tossed me out the airlock or something. I'm not even wanted by cops anymore. Arche De Katze is dead to every law enforcer in the universe. Even rent-a-cops and boy scouts."

"I was a boy scout…" Alex whispers, pushing papers into the trashcan.

Kayla opens her mouth but I put my hand up defensibly, "No no, this is quiet time." I dash out of the room before anyone gets another word in.

I walk into the kitchen and see NePaul sitting at the table alone eating a bag of chips. I walk casually by and take a seat across from him, "Lets have a little talk about crew loyalty and communication."

He visibly tenses and sits up straight. "Uh, ok."

I pull over another chair and put my bare feet up. "When I asked you to "keep an eye on" Riddick, what did you assume I meant?"

"To watch him and make sure he doesn't do anything he isn't suppose to."

"Perfect." I see him relax so I continue, "Now compare that to what you did do and tell me what you did wrong."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

I take the bag of chips he's forgotten about and put them in my lap. "According to a few scans we ran five days ago we have someone following us and they're gaining pretty fast."

"Listen Arche I saw that this guy was messing with you so I looked him up and when I saw how much Mercs would pay us for him I thought we'd be set and I swear that if I had known about your past I wouldn't have even thought about it and I wanted to contact them and call it off but I thought that they would get suspicious and come after us quicker and…" He rambled on and on, all on one breath, so fast that it was hard to understand him.

"Hey, hey, hold up." I interrupt, "Relax, ok, I'm not that mad. If I were you I'd have done the same thing. Its hard to resist all the money they put up on him." I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to think of the next course of action. "I need you to send a message to Genevra in the Roma system. Make it simple. Say something along the lines of, Arche De Katze requests permission to dock near the west side of the capital from the emperor Ryan Michael, will land in two days. See? Simple."

He nods frantically and stands up, heading back to his post. "Thanks Arche."

I toss the open chip bag onto the counter and try to think about something else to do. Drawing a blank I get the lightheaded call of sleep and wander off to my room.

Opening up my door I get very pissed and pull out my full sized, fully charged flashlight out of its strap on my leg and shine it at my bed, spotting the intruder lounging on his back, his boots and socks kicked off onto my floor and his goggles resting on top of my alarm.

"Very funny Riddick now get the hell out so I can change my sheets." I step inside my room, door still open of course, and watch him.

"Its not like you've never slept in the same bed as me." he murmurs. "You can turn off the flashlight, the hall light is good."

I flick the light off and set down the light on the dresser. "That wasn't really a bed, and if I didn't sleep with you then I would have had to kill a lot of guys before I could get a good nights sleep." Thoughts of lying close to his warm body came flooding back to me in a rush… I shift on my feet, suddenly feeling very hot. I hear him inhale and let it out in a seductive growl. That sound triggers so many bad things to happen to me and I close my door and my feet move over the soft carpet on their own until I'm standing right next to the bed.

'I cant do this, its not right. I might have a while ago but…' 

All doubt is ripped from my mind as his arm reaches out and slips around my waist, pulling me onto the bed. I lay down, my back to him and I feel him shift until he's spooning with me.

'_Thank god we still have our clothes on. Just go with it.'_

I surprise him and myself as I snuggle back into him and close my eyes. I feel sleep coming fast until everything is gone except for his arm wrapped protectively around me.


	11. Chapter 11

Ok, I rewrote and reposted this because even I had trouble with the way it was (you're not alone Sita). I hope everyone likes this. Theonly song i was listening to when i rewrote this was Coming Undone by Korn. Its really good.

* * *

"Riddick!" I gasp loudly, being jolted awake from my fantasy. Riddick instantly tightens his grip around my waist and pulls me against him. I feel little beads of sweat all over my body and I know he feels it too as he runs his thumb gently over my ribs.

"Good dream?" he asks in a cocky voice. I feel his breath on my arm and move up to my neck. "What were you dreaming about?"

I try to shrug him off me but he stays put. "Come on Riddick, don't flatter yourself. It's just hot in here. The fan isn't on and I don't normally sleep under the blankets or with a body.

"Sure." He smiles against my skin and nips at the sensitive part of my neck.

"Ok, that's enough." I turn around and push him off of me, sitting up and hanging my feet over the side of the bed. I run my shaking hands over my face and try to keep still.

_'I haven't shook like this since slam.'_

"The shaking's normal." He says sitting up behind me.

I roll my eyes, "Why do you do that?"

His hands move up the back of my shirt and lock over my belly, making a shiver run up my spine. "I like making you squirm, but…" he trails off as he softly kisses my neck "I'd rather make you squirm in a different way."

I let out a short laugh, "Really? And how would you do that?"

I'm pulled back onto the bed and held down on my back by hands on my shoulders. I kick out and try to knee him in the balls but he crushes my legs with his. I continue to fight; throwing my weight around (which doesn't really do much), lashing out, and trying to bite him.

'_Easy, take control.'_

I whip my head to the side in rage and sink my teeth into the flesh of his arm. I instantly cool down. I can taste blood in my mouth and pull back like I had been burned. Riddick's grip on my arms is so tight that he's shaking and a growl erupts from him, but it might as well have come from the depths of hell. My heart feels like it's going to burst out of my chest. I'm expecting a slap across the face, a few good punches, choking, and shivs. His lips press against mine carefully, as if he's afraid that he's going to break me. I'm too much in shock to do anything but lay there as he slides a hand from my arm to the back of my head, lifting it up slightly before deepening the kiss. He explores my mouth with his tongue before trying to coax mine into playing along. I'm suddenly tired and my muscles are so heavy. I jerk my head back from his, tearing my mouth from his and whimpering in confusion and refusal.

"Shh," he coos.

His lips cover mine again, despite my feeble attempts to move away. He runs his tongue along my lips wanting entrance that I wont give. He puts his weight down on me little by little and I wonder if he's been holding himself up off me this whole time or if I just wasn't aware of it. His fingertips graze the bottom of my shirt before lifting it over my stomach. I give a whispered cry of protest and he takes the opportunity to push his tongue back into my mouth and muffle my cries. I lay there for a moment, letting his warm kisses sink in as I mentally check myself over.

_'Why are you so tired? Its like your whole body is lead and you're falling asleep. Is it him? What did he do to you?'_

I pull my head away and I can feel him looking down at me. I look up to where I think his head is. "You slipped me something?" I ask.

"Nice aren't they? Tiny and tasteless but they work fast and pack a punch." He lies back down beside me and puts his hands behind his head, "I need you out of the way when I land this ship but that's still a few hours away. The pills will be working full force then." I open my mouth to yell but his hand clamps over my mouth. "See this is why I wanted to keep your mind on other things. You cause trouble. Normally I like that in a girl," his breath is hot on the scar on my neck. "Unless they're causing _me_ the trouble."

The sting of a needle in my arm barely fazes me but the burning after words is what wakes me up. My bones are like rubber as I sit up and I feel hands helping me move. My fuzzy eyesight sharpens and I piece together the face of Alex, his blazing red hair speckled with blood.

I open my mouth but it takes a few tries to get the words out, "Wha…What's going on?"

"R-Riddick tried to take the ship. Kayla, Nepaul, and Violet are g-guarding the control room b-but I don't know how l-long they can hold it."

His voice is shaking so much that it's hard for me to really grip the words. "What happened to you?"

"I-I came looking for you and when I saw that you had been drugged I went to the Med-Bay to get something to wake you up. He… He was waiting for me and p-pulled a knife on me. He only cut me once but he beat me pretty hard to make up for it. Shit," he pants "He left me for dead. He thought I was as good as dead… Oh God Arche, am I going to die?"

Alex moves his hand nervously though his short hair and I see the source of the blood. A long gash from his shoulder to his elbow, partly covered by an old t-shirt tied loosely around it like a bandage, is bleeding steadily. I reach out for his arm but grab a handful of air. It takes me another two tries before I have the shirt. I start to untie it but the blood comes out faster and I instinctively apply pressure.

_'Son of a bitch cut a vein'_

I stand up and stumble over to my bookshelf. Everything is still fuzzy but I manage to find the bottle I'm looking for. "Alright Alex. This isn't gonna be easy for you but unless you want to bleed out then you have to pull yourself together." He nods furiously and I push a bottle of alcohol, a needle, and surgical thread into his good hand. "I'm too drugged to make it straight so you need to clean the gash and start sewing it where the flow is the worse. Its just temporary so do it quickly and when you think its good then wrap another shirt around it."

He takes a seat in a chair beside me and uncaps the alcohol. He carefully pulls back on the shirt and pours I little of the evil liquid onto his arm. I'm right beside him, covering his scream with my hand. I pull a pillow off my bed and he bites into it.

I figure he'll take a few minutes and sit back down on my bed. The room spins and I shut my eyes tight, fighting back the bad taste building up in the back of my throat.

Time flies by and when I open my eyes, a pale Alex is tying a white shirt around his arm. I stand back up, finding my balance now, and dress myself up all pretty with black shorts and shirt, boots, dark green jacket, green camo hat, and my violet contacts. I was set and now I just had to make the move.

"Ready?" I ask him.

He nods and forces a smile through the pain.

'_He isn't as weak as everyone though. Hell, he's stronger than _I_ thought.' _I smile to myself and close my eyes, taking several deep-cleansing breaths. When I open them, everything seems so much lighter and I notice the smallest details in everything. I smell the clotting blood on Alex's arm. My whole body is tingling. I hear footsteps, nearly silent but close and walking away towards…

"I thought you said everyone was already at the control room."

He looks at me, the smile replaced by confusion, "They are."

I hurry for the door Alex is in front of and he jumps out of the way as I pull it open and rush out.


	12. Chapter 12

I know that its not long but don't be mad,I re-wrote chapter 11. Go back and read it! I was listening to Just Like You by Three Days Grace whenI wrote this.

* * *

I keep light on my feet; mainly just from the speed I'm running at. I pull my shiv from my belt as I turn the last corner to the hall where the control room is. My brain and arms move faster than my eyes can keep up with. I see a single black shape in front of me, its back turned, advancing on my unknowing crew. I close the distance and strike out bring my blade across to cut his side but he turns and grabs my arms, using my propulsion to help him hurl me into the closed door of the control room. I hear it crack as I break through and land on someone. There are a few 'Oh my god's and one 'what the fuck' but I spring up and crouch down into my stance before going after him again. He throws a punch at my head but I dodge it and slash out again, tearing at the fabric of his shirt. I keep moving till I'm a good distance away from him and get back into my stance. He looks so calm just standing there that it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I throw my self forward to gain speed and point the shiv at his stomach but he steps aside so fast that I almost miss the movement. He grabs the back of my shirt and shoves me down to the ground throwing off my balance and making me hit the floor. I get to my hands and knees' trying to get my self up and away but his hand wraps around my left leg and hauls me backwards. My right foot kicks out and hits him between the legs, earning a grunt. His hand loosens enough for me to slip my foot out of his grip and spin onto my back bringing it around to kick at his head but he pulls back and I miss. I scurry back and jump to my feet, one part of me wanting to rush him again and the other part wanting to wait for him to move.

He pulls his shiv from its place on his side and holds it loosely in his hand. I flinch at the sight of it and yell at myself for showing that weakness. I take a breath and launch myself towards him aiming for the left side of his body, away from his shiv. My blade misses its target but I shove my elbow into his kidney. I see his back foot start to turn and I duck just as he brings his other hand towards my head, along with the shiv. My body starts to take me back to safety but I force it to stay close to him. I turn 180 degrees in less than a second and shove into him trying to throw him off balance but he steps away and pushes me away. I fall, exhausted, with my back against the wall, gasping for air. Glaring at Riddick, I'm disappointed to see that he's just a little sweaty and barley scratched up but still looking like he could go several more rounds. His face is different, softer? He bends down, never taking his goggled eyes off me and grabs his shiv off the floor wiping off the…

'_Blood'_

Little drops of blood blot the white floor in front of me and it clicks in my head what happened. I smile, near laughing as I peel my bloody back off the wall and glance over my shoulder at the mess I made. I close my eyes and breathe, pushing the pain out of my mind and focusing. I whip around, switching my blade to my left hand and pulling the first thing in my belt, swing it at his face. He reacts just like I thought he would, his hand grabbing my wrist just inches from his face, thinking that I was holding my shiv. I smile at him and he looks up at what he caught just as I flick on the high-powered flashlight.

Riddick roars in pain and turns his head away, but uses his unarmed hand to punch me hard on the side of my face. I fall back in a daze and hear him go back down the hall. Pushing myself back up, I shake my head to try and clear it but instantly regret it when my head stops spinning but the world doesn't. I close my eyes and take several deep breaths before opening them again to find myself still sitting alone on the floor.

"Well, don't all jump at once to help me up."


	13. Chapter 13

I feel the ship shake as it docks. Violet and Nepaul are going crazy in the cockpit, having ripped two poles off something and smashing the controls to hell. Alex is leaning against the wall next to the door holding a gun, ready to open it up and run. God help him that he's able to hold a gun with his bad arm. I'm stuck lying on my stomach, shirt off, feeling the life drip out of the gash in my back.

_'There's only so much punishment the human body can take. Riddick knew that, that's why he kept you one tap above that line just in case.'_

Kayla returns from her trip to the med bay. Her hands are shaking as she puts a large bandage over the wound.

"You saw him," I whisper so that only she can hear me.

She's quite as she sticks something under the bandage. "I don't understand him."

"Join the club."

"I think you did something to him. Its like... I think he has feelings for you."

"You think it has feelings?"

"He was just sitting in the med bay cleaning himself up. He saw me and did that little head tilt thing, letting me go in and get the stuff. It was a tight space and..." she shivers. "He was intimidating." Something starts sucking the air out from under the bandage. "You saw the way he looked when you were bleeding out right in front of him. It was like he was hurting."

The subject is really uncomfortable, "What are you doing to me? It feels like you put plastic wrap over it."

"Good, that means I'm doing it right. Its a vacuum that sucks out the air, sealing the wound for a little while until you can find a hospital." She moves away from my back and slouches over next to me to give us more privacy. "You know where the nearest hospital is, don't you?"

"Uh huh, I lived here for years don't forget that." I sit up slowly and put my shirt back on, turning back around and using my in-charge voice. "We need to go now."

With that, everyone moves at once. Alex and Violet rush through the doorway towards the airlock door, guns up and ready. The doors open and the humid heat hits us all hard but we still run. I'm slower than the rest of them. I grab Kayla's arm and hold her back as the rest go. Alex looks back and is about to come back, "Keep moving, you know where you're going."

He doesn't give me a second look before keeping on track. I put my arm around my friend and she helps me walk down the street. We keep quiet as we go, she keeps me steady but I lead her in the right direction. A blue neon sign appears out of the hazy gloom. It's just the outline of a square but I know what it is. "This is it. You know the way back?"

"Yeah." She sounds so sad. Something in her eyes is screaming but she keeps quiet.

"What's wrong?" I ask her carefully. She shakes her head frantically and then pulls me into a tight hug her tears making my shirt damp. Now I know that something is wrong. I've very rarely seen her cry. "Tell me what's wrong."

She pulls herself away from me and sniffs, wiping her eyes. "Nothing is wrong." She gives me one last hug and runs off, leaving me alone without another word.

I stand in the dark, more afraid now than ever was in Slam. Kayla was always strong but kind. She knows something I don't and it's unnerving. With one final look around I open the door and walk in.


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm here to see Doctor Quinn," I say tiredly, supporting my weight on my arms as I lean on the front desk. The waiting room is completely empty. The doctor only handles special patients; mob bosses, rich leaders, and the occasional hurt merc or convict if they have enough credits.

The nurse sets down her book and looks me over, sneering. Her outfit looks like she bought it at a sex shop. "He's with a patent right now and I don't think you have an appointment."

"Listen bitch," I hiss, loosing my patience "I am in no mood for this. I am one of Quinn's most important clients and if I die right here on the floor cause some slut wouldn't let me in, then he's gonna be pissed about the sudden decrease in profit."

The look on her face is enough to give me the go ahead through the door. Closing it behind me, I'm in a hallway with one door on either side of me; on my right is Storage and on the left is Office. I take the left and waltz in, as best I can.

I stand in the doorway. Not moving, not even breathing. I'm staring at a guy in the room getting a cut on his face stitched up. His brown hair is messy and curly and his eyes widen at the sight of me.

Quinn looks up from his work at me, "Arche?"

That word is the trigger. I try to turn fast to get out but my back screams in disapproval.

"Hold it!" The ruff voice of the man yells at me. I stop and hold up my hands slowly. "That's it. Now, turn around."

I turn around and face him, his smile mocking me. "Hey Toombs. What happened to your face?"

"Well, I came here lookin' for a big payday. Some guy got cocky and hit me with some brass knuckles. Wasn't too bright though, bastard broke his hand and I got him back good." He explains, motioning with his eyes to the big gun in his hands.

"So what? Are you going to cash me in?"

He slings his gun back over his shoulder. "Nah, I've got bigger fish to fry."

"Good for you," I sigh, lowering my hands and collapsing to the floor.

Toombs walks over to me and helps me up, "You owe me for this, Babe."

"Whatever." He sets me down on one of the hospital beds lined up against the wall, "Doc?"

"Huh?" Quinn asks, looking up from some doodles he had started drawing. He doesn't seem surprised by any of this, just annoyed at the noise.

"I have a bad gash on my back and my right wrist is broken," he looks at me expectantly, "and the big guy is going to pay for it."

"Take off your shirt and lay on your stomach," he orders. He walks around the room, gathering up random tools and an I.V. bag of something.

I look over at Toombs who has made himself comfortable on the bed next to mine.

"Leave?" I ask, expectantly.

He grins and shakes his head, "No can do. I have a business proposition for ya. Plus, its not like I haven't seen what's under that shirt."

I roll my eyes at his I'm-So-Hot attitude, "How about I _let you_ stay and listen to what you want to tell me and you never mention that again?"

"Deal."

I take off my shirt and wait until I'm on my stomach to undo my bra. "Talk?" I ask, annoyed at his presence.

He's staring shamelessly at my back, "Christ, who did this to you?"

"A dead guy, now what do you want."

"You're going to help me bring in my new pay day." He's talking to me but he's still looking at my back.

"My eyes are up here." He looks at me eye to eye finally so I continue, "You know I don't help mercs."

Quinn walks back over to us and looks at the bandage on my back. Without any warning he rips it off and throws it into a trashcan, immediately covering it with gauze to stop the bleeding. Before I can blink, there's an I.V in the top of my hand. Toombs shifts some at the sight of it.

"Who is the guy you're after?"

He perks up like an excited puppy, "Oh, you're going to love this. I got a tip and tracked him all the way here! I'm taking down the big bad himself. Richard B. Riddick."

I start laughing and just can't seem to stop. I laugh until my sides hurt and Quinn yells at me to keep still. "Wha…" I stifle another laugh, "What the hell was your first plan? You followed him all by yourself so you figured you could take him down alone too?"

"In my defense, I got the info on where he was a little late."

"Oh my god Toombs! You are the dumbest fuck ever!"

"I'm going to have to put you under, Arc." Quinn tells me, checking the gas levels "close this conversation."

"I want a fifth of the credits you get for him."

"Uh, yeah, of course!" He smiles wide because we both know that he's getting the best deal ever. "Have I ever told ya how much I love ya, Hot Shot?"

"Did I ever tell you that I hate that pet name?"

He stands up and pats me on the top of my head, "All the time."

"Keep an eye on the transports." I manage to say before Quinn slips the mask over my nose and mouth and floods me with gas that smells like helium. I try to see how long I can hold on to consciousness and hear Quinn tell me that I'll be out for two or three days. The last thing I feel is Toombs brushing his thumb across my cheek.

"Morning sleepy head!" Quinn announces. He sounds like he's in a very good mood. My eyelids are heavy so I just keep them closed as I sit up. My head swims and Quinn puts a hand on each of my shoulders to keep me down, "Open your eyes before you move or you're going to be sick." He takes a hand off of one of my shoulders and pulls out the IV. The sharp pinch makes me open my eyes. "Good girl," he praises.

"Why are you so happy?" I ask in a groggy voice.

"Because I've been baby sitting you for four days and now you're good to go home."

I roll my shoulders, "My back is tight." I complain.

"Its just scar tissue. It made a pretty sexy looking scar though so you don't look disfigured or anything."

I try to stretch my arms but only my left arm bends. I look at my right and scream, "What the fucking hell is that?!"

Quinn rolls his eyes like it's not a big deal, "It's a purple cast going from your hand to your shoulder."

"Why?!"

"I don't know what shit you've been putting your body through and I don't want to know. Your hand and wrist looked like it had been smashed by a hammer and your elbow was fractured. I did x-rays on lots of things and it's a god damn miracle that you can still move enough to fight." He sighs and sits n a spinny chair facing me. "I patched up everything I could find but…"

'_Oh shit, this has to be bad news.'_

Quinn folds his hands, "Arche, are you sure you're human?"

'_Wasn't expecting that.'_

He continues, "There is some off balance of chemicals in your body."

"Is it dangerous?" I ask, shocked.

"Yes, extremely. Any human would be dead by no, which is why this is confusing me."

"But I AM human." He doesn't argue with me but I can tell that he doesn't believe me either. "I don't feel bad."

"That's the other surprising thing. What the chemicals normally do is break the body down. It deteriorates bone and muscles over years and causes very bad hypersensitivity. On you though, it hardens your bones and makes your muscles harder to tear."

"I thought I was careful."

He laughs at me, "Arc, if it wasn't for your unusually strong bones there's a good chance that you'd be dead right now."

"How do you figure?" I ask trying to cross my arms but the cast makes it odd. This whole conversation feels like it's all about insulting me. It's my bones that got me this far, not my skill.

"In your… line of work, how many times has someone put you in a lock but somehow you could get out it without a bone breaking? Or have you ever jumped from something so high and landed on your feet but they didn't break?"

That gets me. I've done that a lot and never got hurt. It was always confusing at the time but I was fine so I didn't put much thought to it.

"You said something about my nerves?"

"To a certain degree, the chemicals act as a pain suppressant. They kick in when your heart rate increases."

"Bull shit! I couldn't even walk when I got here."

"First off, your heart rate had dropped and the suppressants had stopped. Second, your body was so exhausted and busted up that it didn't matter if you could feel it or not. Just cause you're not hurting doesn't mean you're fine. That's why I said 'to a degree'."

"I don't get it," I mutter, scratching at the purple covering on my forearm. "It doesn't make sense."

"Don't blame me, blame genetics."

"I'm talking about this cast. What made you get the bright idea that purple would be good? You know that this is going to stand out."

"The last thing you need right now is to do what that merc who keeps coming by was saying. You need to rest and let everything I told you sink in."

"Toombs has been coming by?" I bring my attention back to him.

He frowns, "Yeah, once a day."

I stand up, the weight of the cast pulling me to one side but I quickly right myself. "Well, thanks Quinn. You're a big help."

"Don't even think about taking off that cast until at least a month."

I awkwardly open the door with my left hand. I've never wanted to be left-handed so badly.

"And David is expecting you soon," He calls after me.

I smile wide and shut the door behind me. Finally things are looking up.


End file.
